[thelogenator]

If the average gas car has 350 miles of cruising range on a full tank of gas and the average person drives 40 miles per day you end up with this.

Starting Range
Day 1 350 miles
Day 2 310 miles
Day 3 270 miles
Day 4 230 miles
Day 5 190 miles
Day 6 150 miles
Day 7 110 miles
Day 8 70 miles
Day 9 30 miles (Ahh snap, time to hit the gas station. I hope you're not running late to work.)

Average starting range each morning = 190 miles



Now imagine you're driving the Bolt EV 40 miles each day and you charge it up each night in your garage. (Hopefully using cheap and clean renewable power.)

Starting Range
Day 1 238 miles
Day 2 238 miles
Day 20 238 miles
Day 40 238 miles
Day 80 238 miles
Day 160 238 miles
Day 365 238 miles

Correct my math if I'm wrong but I believe that the average starting range each morning in the Bolt = 238 miles. And it doesn't matter if you do 40 or 140 miles each day. You start each morning with 238 miles range.

That's why the Bolt EV is a game changer. It's a reasonably priced EV that you can just drive each day like you would any other car without having to put any real thought or planning into. No worrying about finding a charge at work. No stressing if you have extra errands or something unexpected comes up. No big deal if you somehow forgot to plug your car in the night before. No second thoughts if you want to crank the heat up or drive fast. On average you'll start each morning with more range than an average combustion engine vehicle. And you never have to pump gas in the cold or rain or when your rushing to make it to an appointment or work on-time. You just get in your car and enjoy the drive.

It's a reasonably priced, practical, no fuss, fun to drive car and that's a game changer.

 

[Just_Jon]

I am glad the Bolt is now available and I hope lots of people buy it.

BUT, everything you just described pretty much also applies to my Volt. I'm all electric most every day, but no problem if I have to go further. I had 6 days last summer when I drove 500+ miles in a day. No real thought or planning about fueling.

I bought used for less than half the price of a Bolt.

I think the game had already changed, pre-Bolt.

 

[Steverino]

Good point for gasaholic commuters, not as valid for those who occasionally take very long trips. That's why I plan to have a Volt AND a Bolt EV.

And yes, used Volt's are a steal.

 

[PH2]

Very true, but keep in mind that keeping the battery's SoC 90-100% is not good long term whereas topping of an ICE's tank daily doesn't create an issue long term (unless you overfill).
Supported by your point, there would be no reason to charge every day unless you are charging at L1 or low amp L2, which you would want to target the mid-range of SoC and keep it there with daily slow charges.

 

[SharkVolt]

For six years, I drove my Volt everywhere, 7 days a week, and loved it, but not quite so much when I had to run extra errands, or drive 70 or 80 miles in one day.

The Bolt works perfectly for those slightly longer days, and it has more room for people, with easier access. And boy is it quicker!

It is a far better commuter car than the Volt, you sit about six inches higher so you can see ahead of traffic a little easier, and the Premiere rear view mirror is fantastic in many situations.

I think this thing will sell out in California, especially since it gets white HOV stickers, which don't expire like green ones do.

 

[phil0909]

Not sure I see the need for the math, but I agree with the general idea. Bolt is still a bit pricey for what you get, but it's really the first electric car that most Americans can afford, and can use on a daily basis (i.e. almost every day) with zero range anxiety. I love the Bolt, but a Leaf or an i3 would drive me nuts with the need for constant charging and range checking.

So, why are Bolts seemingly piling up on dealer lots, rather than selling out months before arriving? Perhaps it takes time to change the game...

 

[CYAOPEC]

I would assume that living in Utah you would drive a lot. The bolt really only has about 150 miles of range at 70mph in bad weather when carrying 3 adults. It's a great car. But I need a 90 kWh battery for my needs. So a full BEV is probably 7+ years away for me.

 

[Ladogaboy]

I would assume that living in Utah you would drive a lot. The bolt really only has about 150 miles of range at 70mph in bad weather when carrying 3 adults. It's a great car. But I need a 90 kWh battery for my needs. So a full BEV is probably 7+ years away for me.

Interesting. Not exactly my experience (shy by about 30 miles of range), but I'm just one data point.

 

[Kraven]

It is a far better commuter car than the Volt...

I'm sure the Bolt is a great commuter, not sure it's far better than the Volt. ACC, for me anyway, is a game changer. To not have to be on both the accelerator and brake many times during a commute with moderate to heavy traffic is very nice. When/if the Bolt gets ACC, I'd be far more tempted to get one. ACC has become an option that again, for me, has become a must have feature. It alone helps make the Volt an amazing commuter car.

 

[dannycamps]

My previous daily driver prior to my Volt was a 2011 Dodge Journey which I used to do a lot of local driving and had to fill up twice a week (at or around $40 a fill depending on gas prices). With the Volt, I am averaging about 1200 miles per tank of gas and when I fill up, it's never from empty so usually costs about $10. Last time I put gas in was 2/1. Prior to that it was 12/16.

I would say the game most definitely has been changed.

 

[Steverino]

Very true, but keep in mind that keeping the battery's SoC 90-100% is not good long term

My Volt gets fully depleted and recharged daily. So every morning it's at 100%. Been doing that for almost 6 years and over 85k miles. When does long term start?

 

[Ladogaboy]

So far, it appears that the Bolt EV's battery is at least 64 kWh, so 100% is likely only 95-97%.

 

[Raymondjram]

I drive less than 500 miles a month, living in a medium city, and having all my needs close by (I can walk to many of them), my trips average less than ten miles. Any point on this island is less than fifty miles away from my home, so a Bolt EV in my carport can hold and use its charge for a full week or more. As the MC posted, nightly recharging keeps the full range available, and with my Level 2 EVSE (set at 7.2 kW since 2014), I can recharge it completely in just one night while I sleep!

But GM has to produce more BEVs, and many here (including myself) recommend the Equinox as the next BEV. Add the Colorado pick-up and the Cruze sedan, and GM has covered all the basic vehicles (including thre of the best sellers) for BEV driving.

 

[saghost]

My Volt gets fully depleted and recharged daily. So every morning it's at 100%. Been doing that for almost 6 years and over 85k miles. When does long term start?

But 100% on the instrument panel is only about 88% of nominal rated charge on a Volt.

We still don't have all the answers, but it looks like the Bolt will go to something over 95% of nominal rating when it shows 100% - and the only way to stop short of that is "hilltop reserve mode." I sure hope GM did their homework on degradation...

 

[Ziv]

Phil, I read your comment and what struck me is that we are seeing Bolt numbers in almost opposite ways. I am on the east coast (VA) so Bolts are just showing up here. What I am struck by is that there are several on Cars dot com near me, but almost all of them are in transit, due to GM's rollout schedule. After 7 weeks of sales, kind of, there are just 1100 Bolts in North America and most of them are going to the west coast and in transit, not on lots, or so it seems to me. And I could be massively wrong on this.
I think CA actually has Bolts on lots, but I don't think anywhere else has them in any numbers. Are you seeing Bolts piling up and sitting unsold? What state do you live in, if you are seeing tons of Bolts? I would bet CA, but I am not sure. Don't mean to pry.
If the sales are going as they have for the past couple months, about 2150 have been sold as of today. Add the 1100 in inventory, both on lots and in transit, and you end up with just 3250. There are more in QC but they don't show up on Cars dot com usually. I think production started in November. So GM is producing Bolts at a rate of around 200-300 a week, which isn't exactly light speed.

Bolt is still a bit pricey for what you get, but it's really the first electric car that most Americans can afford, and can use on a daily basis

So, why are Bolts seemingly piling up on dealer lots, rather than selling out months before arriving? Perhaps it takes time to change the game...

 

[Ziv]

Walter, I think GM did a rather good job of protecting the Volt from cycling loss by using such a relatively small portion of the pack capacity. (Hopefully the higher usage on the Bolt won't be a problem down the road)
I think that the probable degradation of most Volt packs will be based on calendar life, not amount of use/miles driven. Or that is what it looks like to me. And the good news there is that the majority of 2011 and 2012 Volts don't seem to be doing too badly. Given the fact that you own an early Volt, I think, have you seen any signs of loss in your older Volt? I have a 2013 and mine is doing exactly the same as the year I got it, with just a bit more AER as my driving habits have slowed slightly.

But 100% on the instrument panel is only about 88% of nominal rated charge on a Volt.

We still don't have all the answers, but it looks like the Bolt will go to something over 95% of nominal rating when it shows 100% - and the only way to stop short of that is "hilltop reserve mode." I sure hope GM did their homework on degradation...

 

[saghost]

Walter, I think GM did a rather good job of protecting the Volt from cycling loss by using such a relatively small portion of the pack capacity. (Hopefully the higher usage on the Bolt won't be a problem down the road)
I think that the probable degradation of most Volt packs will be based on calendar life, not amount of use/miles driven. Or that is what it looks like to me. And the good news there is that the majority of 2011 and 2012 Volts don't seem to be doing too badly. Given the fact that you own an early Volt, I think, have you seen any signs of loss in your older Volt? I have a 2013 and mine is doing exactly the same as the year I got it, with just a bit more AER as my driving habits have slowed slightly.

I would certainly agree that Volts have done remarkably well with degradation, partially due to the combination of a solid TMS and limited SoC window.

The Bolt appears to be using a much larger window and presumably will spend more time at the top than Teslas do - Tesla actively discourages fully charging daily, while GM gave you a option to not fully charge if you go looking for it.

I'm not saying Bolts will suffer from serious degradation - just that the jury is out and I hope GM planned well.

 

[viking79]

If the average gas car has 350 miles of cruising range on a full tank of gas and the average person drives 40 miles per day you end up with this.
...
Now imagine you're driving the Bolt EV 40 miles each day and you charge it up each night in your garage. (Hopefully using cheap and clean renewable power.)

Starting Range
Day 1 238 miles
...
Day 365 238 miles

Correct my math if I'm wrong but I believe that the average starting range each morning in the Bolt = 238 miles. And it doesn't matter if you do 40 or 140 miles each day. You start each morning with 238 miles range.

That's why the Bolt EV is a game changer. It's a reasonably priced EV that you can just drive each day like you would any other car without having to put any real thought or planning into. No worrying about finding a charge at work. No stressing if you have extra errands or something unexpected comes up. No big deal if you somehow forgot to plug your car in the night before. No second thoughts if you want to crank the heat up or drive fast. On average you'll start each morning with more range than an average combustion engine vehicle. And you never have to pump gas in the cold or rain or when your rushing to make it to an appointment or work on-time. You just get in your car and enjoy the drive.

Honestly, the Volt is better at this, but you do have added system of ICE and will sometimes burn gas. With 53 mile EV range and 350 mile gas range or so you rarely dip into the gas.

What people don't realize with the Volt is that it is an EV that is also a parallel/series hybrid. I.e., for your 40 miles every day you run on electric only, but never have range anxiety issues as you can just use gas for those weekend and long trips.

My only complaint with the Volt is it is too dang small.

That being said, 238 mile electric range might work for those that can't charge at home and must charge on the weekends at a commercial station, or also for longer trips where some delay is not an issue. It would work for me, but it would rule out the longer trips that I take a few times a year in my Volt.

 

[PH2]

My Volt gets fully depleted and recharged daily. So every morning it's at 100%. Been doing that for almost 6 years and over 85k miles. When does long term start?

Steverino, it's well known that the Volt only uses ~65% of its total capacity to preserve the top and bottom ends of the SoC range. You won't see the effects of battery degradation on the Volt until it falls below the 'usable capacity' of its manufactured spec.

 

[Sean Nelson]

I'm sure the Bolt is a great commuter, not sure it's far better than the Volt. ACC, for me anyway, is a game changer. To not have to be on both the accelerator and brake many times during a commute with moderate to heavy traffic is very nice.

Not to dismiss the value of ACC, but if you drive the Bolt in "L" mode then you shouldn't need to use the brake for anything short of a panic stop.